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Tom Mueller

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Where do you live?: Gainesville, FL

Day job: Professor and Ph. D. student, University of Florida, Mass Communications

When did you become a Brooks I.D. Member?: 1997 (I think)

Date of birth: December 18, 1956

High School: Wausau West (Wausau, WI)

College: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (Journalism), Otterbein College (Westerville, OH, for MBA)

Personal Record(s): 37:02 10K, 3:21 marathon, 4:57 50K, 8:53 50 mile, 24:32 100 mile

Events Currently Training For: Sarasota 50K, Croom 50K, Umstead 100 mile

Miles run/week: 40-60

Favorite Brooks shoes and apparel?: I like to rotate shoes – so it’s Dyad 4, Radius 7, Trance^TM 7, and Adrenaline^TM ASR^TM 4’s right now…all Brooks apparel is the best, I choose it based on the climate I’m running in.

Why do you run?: I changed my lifestyle, lost 45 pounds and became a runner 24 years ago. Running is so much of my identity, and what makes me the person I am.

Who inspires you?: My friend David Bailey, a world champion motocross racer who was paralyzed in 1987; he went on to win the Ironman Triathlon – twice – in the wheelchair division.

The best thing about being an I.D. Member (besides the discount): I like and use Brooks products, and enjoy promoting the apparel and shoes to runners I meet at various training and racing events throughout the year.

When did you start running?: 1983

What challenges do you face as a runner?: At age 51, injuries and aging affect the body’s ability to maintain performance, even though the mind remains strong.

What do you like to do when you're not running?: Bicycle, read, do outdoor activities with my girlfriend, and work on research for my Ph.D. program.

Favorite type of event: Ultradistance trail races

Favorite race: Mohican 100 mile in Ohio…I have six finishes there and many great memories, also many great challenges along the way.

Favorite run: The six mile loop in Wausau, WI (hometown) that my brother and I laid out in 1984.

Favorite pre- and post-race foods: Vegetarian anything, good wine, and/or a few German beers.

Anything else you’d like to add: I try to never take running for granted, it’s a wonderful gift to have in one’s life. I had a serious illness (Guillain-Barre) in 1993, and couldn’t run for almost three months. When I made my comeback, I realized how essential running was to my well-being and attitude.